The invention relates to a discharge apparatus for media, which has a casing and an actuator for carrying out one or more discharge processes. Quite independently of whether they are constructed as manually openable delivery valves for pressure reservoirs or as manual discharge pumps to be operated over a pump stroke, such discharge apparatuses are provided with a plurality of medium guides or one single medium guide, which is generally guided from a single or more reservoirs to one or more outlets leading into the open. If the discharge apparatus is only formed by a delivery valve, the medium guide normally incorporates the medium reservoir or an inlet of a riser tube, the valve closing faces, optionally an inlet channel leading to the latter and an outlet channel leading therefrom to the outlet, as well as the outlet itself. In the case of a pump the medium guide incorporates one or more pump chambers, which may optionally be simultaneously provided only as the medium reservoir, and generally at least one valve and there can be at least one intake valve, at least one intermediate valve and/or at least one delivery valve. Preferably the dispenser is operable in hand-held or single-handed manner only by manually driven actuation.
If the discharge apparatus is intended for repeated and not a single operation, a restoring means is provided and returns the discharge apparatus to its starting position when it is freed from the manual action of corresponding functional parts. Valves, restoring means and similar functional units of discharge apparatuses usually contain metallic parts, e.g. valve bodies, restoring springs, etc., whose metal surface can lead to undesired reactions with numerous media, particularly pharmaceutical and/or cosmetic media, if they come into contact with the said surfaces. Said media can also damage such parts if chemical reactions occur. This more particularly applies to liquid or pasty media, but such disadvantages can also occur with other flowable media.